Water-motor.



L. M. WILBBB.;

WATER MOTOR.

APFLIOATION FILED AUG. 27. 190s.

Patented Nov. 1,1910.

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L.' M. WILBER.

WATER MOTOR. APPLICATION FILED AUG, 27, 190s.-

9 74 ,`22.1. Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

L. M. WILBER.

WATER MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27. 1908.

' Patented Nov.

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L. M. WILBER.

WATER MOTOR.

APPLIQATION FILED AUG. 27. 1908.

974,221 Patented Nov, 1, 1910.

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UNITED ASTATES. PATENT OEEIOE.

y LoUIsA M. wILBER, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

WATER-MOTOR.

To all whom it 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, LoUIsA M. VILBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at `Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful. improvements in current water-motors, and it has for its primary object the production of an improved construction of water-motor so constructed and mounted that it will float on its end bearings without excessive thrust against either of said bearings.

It also has for its object the construction of a water-motor in the form of a winged drum or water-tight compartment adapted to be supplied with water to a certain height or filled if necessary to provide the necessary weight to submerge the same in a body of flowing water and at the same time hold it in a floating condition between end bearings and also to provide said drum or compartment with longitudinally disposed wings having concaved impact-faces and convex water clearing-faces so as to offer the least possible resistance to the rotation of the drum.

ith these and other objects in View, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the subjoined claim.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved water motor herein shown as comprising a plurality of drums so arranged that the flowing water acts upon them successively; Fig'.l 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 8 3, Fig. 1. F igJf is a central vertical section through one of the drums. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the drums.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

The reference letter A represents the foundation or support preferably constructed of concrete in the usual manner in which fqvundations are built in water. This foundation or support is to be built in a stream of water and its upper portion may extend above the surface of the water. At one end, said foundation or support is pointed into V-shape so as to deflect the flowing water to opposite sides. The sides of said Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 27, 1908.

Patented'Nov. 1, 1910.

serial No. 450,529.

foundation or support are provided with substantial semi-circular pockets or depressions B which extend from the top downward a considerable distance and have stepbearings C embedded in the lower walls D thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. l. These pockets or depressions are arranged on op posite sides of the foundation or support, and within each depression is a drum E which has a. trunnion or stub-shaft e at its lower end j ournaled in the step-bearing C in the lower wall of the depression and a. trunnion or stub shaft el at its upper end which is journaled in supports F secured to the top of the foundation or support A. By providing the. drums at opposite ends with trunnions or stub-shafts, the same effect is obtained as though a. single shaft were provided and the drum immovably fixed thereon with the ends of the shaft projecting beyond the ends of the drum. Said drums are arrangedlengthwise of the foundation or support in two series along opposite sides of the same and above each series is a longitudinally-disposed shaft G also journaled in said supports F and provided with bevel gears H which mesh with bevel-gears I secured to the trunnions or stub-shafts el at the upper ends of the drums.

The rotation of the drums is imparted to the shafts Gr through said bevel-gears, and from said shafts power may be transmitted to any suitable point or point-s for use. Each drum comprises a hollow cylinder or tank J preferably lined internally with cement or similar material, as at K, to render the same water-tight; and in order to overcome the inherent buoyancy of the same to a considerable extent, said cylinders are filled or supplied with water or other liquid in any suitable manner, thus holding the same submerged and well seated in the pockets or depressions B of said foundation or support. The water passing on opposite sides of the foundation or support acts against the two series of drums, and for best results about i* of each drum extends beyond the side of said foundation or support so as to compel the flowing water to act against and rotate the same. Riveted or otherwise secured to each of the cylinders or tanks J is a series of parti-crescent shaped impact wings L, each consisting ofl two curved converging walls providing a eoncaved face Z against which the flowing water strikes and a convex face Z1 which latter, in the revolution of the drum, practically moves with the currents of water and offers only slight resistance to the drums. These wings extend from top to bottom of the cylinders, and on account of their shape and the fact that little resistance is offered in their passing through the water held quietly in the pockets or depressions B, considerable power may be obtained from each drum. The concaved walls of the impactwings provide extended surfaces against which the water acts, and adds considerable to the power of the drums.

A drum having a fixed relation to its shaft and filled with a certain quantity of water or other liquid, will float to an extent just sufficient to avoid excessive end thrust in either direction thus relieving` the bearings of grinding action which would otherwise result in quickly grinding out the bearings and this feature I apply to my invention so that the drum is fioated on its bearings and the excessive end thrust avoided.

The capacity for producing power from this improved motor is limited only by the length of the foundation or support, as any number of winged-drums may be used and each drum will produce approximately the same power. lf desired, a number of foundations or supports may be arranged side by side, or minor changes in construction and detail may be resorted to without departing from my invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- A water-motor comprising a support having a parti-circular pocket, a cylindrical vertically-disposed hollow body lined with a plastic substance and adapted to be supplied or filled with a liquid, said hollow body being located in said pocket, fixed verticallydisposed impact wings spaced around the periphery of said hollow body and secured to the'cylindrical wall thereof, each impact wing extending from top to bottom of said hollow body and consisting of two curved walls extending outward from said body and of parti-crescent shape in cross-section so as to present a concaved surface against which the flowing water acts and a convex surface readily movable into the water in the pocket of said support, said curved walls being in fixed relation to the cylindrical wall of said hollow body, and trunnions at opposite ends of said hollow body.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Louisa M. wiLBER.

Titnesses ELLA C. PLUEGKHAHN, EMIL NEUHART. 

